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62 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • MARCH 2018
functional by design
Such has long been the case at
1,000-plus-unit Firehouse Subs, where
hot sandwiches featuring meats and
cheeses steamed to order and served on
freshly toasted rolls are the specialty of
the house. Beyond upgrading to faster,
more efficient equipment along the
way, the Jacksonville, Fla.-based chain
has changed little about its sandwich
station design since it opened the first
unit in 1994.
Rich Goodman, vice president of
operations services at Firehouse Subs,
says a typical unit's prep line organiza-
tion starts with the customer at the far
end of the counter near the registers.
The customer then works his or her
way back toward the front door.
"The first crew member assembles
the meat and cheese and then goes back
to place it in a steamer," Goodman says.
"It currently takes 2 minutes and 45
seconds to steam the ingredients. The
toaster is on the back line too. While the
proteins are being heated, the bread is
toasted and sent back to the front line to
be dressed while crew members engage
with guests and handle customization
requests. The dressed bun is then slid
further down the line, the proteins are
removed from the steamer and added to
the bun, and the sandwich is either plated
for dine-in or packaged for takeout."
Save Steps, Bring Heat Up Front
Goodman notes the primary goal from
a production efficiency standpoint is to
maximize guest engagement and mini-
mize the number of steps required for
crew members to access what they need.
To that end, and to better respond to
increasing needs for speed and conve-
nience, the chain is now making some
changes to its sandwich station design.
The introduction of more efficient
toasters and new steamer technology
will shave precious seconds off the
steaming process, according to Goodman.
In addition to being faster and more
programmable, the new steamers also
take up less space.
"They're stackable and have draw-
ers," Goodman says. "We'll have the
same capacity as we currently do —
eight separate steaming cavities — but
need half the amount of space. It will
get us a lot closer to the ergonomic
kitchen of the future because it will
minimize employees' need to walk from
station to station. When we go to this
vertical steamer station, employees can
be guest-facing and have everything
almost within arm's reach. The absolute
ideal situation is for the employee to be
able to stand in one spot and be able to
reach almost everything. I don't know if
we'll ever get 100 percent there, but as
we move forward our goal is to always
be reducing steps."
When designing deli and sandwich
stations, Pellegrino seeks to place
sandwich-heating equipment directly
on front-facing sandwich prep counters.
Pellegrino's favorite sandwich
station layout flows from a display of
bread selections to meats, cheeses and
any other ingredients that might re-
quire heating. Next, whenever possible,
she positions heating equipment next
to, not behind, the proteins.
Pellegrino adds that properly
incorporating heating equipment into
the front-facing sandwich make line
requires containing the heat the equip-
ment generates, which keeps the adjacent
ingredients fresh. "That's a lesson we
learned the hard way," she adds. "Some of
those ovens put heat out on the sides, so
we found it's a good idea to put protective
glass dividers up to ensure that hot air
isn't being blown onto the cold food."
Prototype Shrinkage
Goodman notes Firehouse Subs will
continue to refine its prototype to en-
able growth in smaller, nontraditional
locations. Additional changes will also
better accommodate mobile orders for
takeout and delivery.
To-go orders currently funnel
through the same sandwich make line
as all other orders, although Goodman
foresees the day when Firehouse Sub
might establish a dedicated line for
carry-out sandwich assembly.
"That end of the business is grow-
ing," Goodman says. "Takeout already
comprises 52 percent of our total sales.
That's a big shift. Just five years ago, we
were at 54 percent dine-in and 46 per-
cent takeout. If we hit 60 or 65 percent
takeout, the rationale would be pretty
strong for going to a split kitchen
system to ensure the greatest effi-
ciency. We know from recent research
that while taste is No. 1 in customer's
minds, speed is a close second, so we'll
be working hard to make continual
improvements in that area." FE&S
The typical Firehouse
Subs unit features
several steamers with
lift tops, but the chain
is transitioning to new
vertical steamers with
drawer-style cavities that
heat faster, are more pro-
grammable and require
less space. Photo courtesy
of Firehouse Subs